Al Smith Quotes

A free church in a free state.

I believe in the American tradition of separation of church and state which is expressed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. By my office - and by personal conviction - I am sworn to uphold that tradition.

Government needs to stay out of the religion business altogether.

Each of us has the choice to attend the church we want to, or none at all. Separation of church and state allows for religions to have their own set of rules as to whom they will accept and who they won't, and the practices they support and the ones they don't. They will continue to be able to do so.

There is little doubt that religious liberty is best exercised within the setting of the secular state.

An essential condition of religious liberty is that religion be unaided by the Commonwealth.

Religious freedom must include the right to influence public policy within the bounds of liberal norms.

With us, the State is undoubtedly on solid ground in refusing to decide what type of religion is best for society. Society is left free to work out the problem. And here is a curious and pertinent matter for remark: that the Stale is the only department of civilization which, by common consent, is denied this privilege.

If a State refused to let religious groups use facilities open to others, then it would demonstrate not neutrality but hostility toward religion.

The lessons of the First Amendment are as urgent in the modern world as the 18th Century when it was written. One timeless lesson is that if citizens are subjected to state-sponsored religious exercises, the State disavows its own duty to guard and respect that sphere of inviolable conscience and belief which is the mark of a free people.

We believe in separation of church and state, that there should be no unwarranted influence on the church or religion by the state, and vice versa.

I believe in the separation of church and state and would not use my authority to violate this principle in any way.

All men have an equal, natural and unalienable right to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that no particular sect or society of Christians ought to be favored or established by law in preference to others.

Whatever you may think of the proposed mosque and community center, lost in the heat of the debate has been a basic question: Should government attempt to deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship on private property based on their particular religion?

I believe in a president whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office.

I believe in the Constitution. The Constitution says that government isn't supposed to be infusing religion into our society, and so I asked to have that upheld.

Religious liberty should be a bipartisan issue.

As crucial as religion has been and is to the life of the nation, America's unifying force has never been a specific faith, but a commitment to freedom - not least freedom of conscience.

We Americans can be rightly proud of the fact that the right to the free and unfettered exercise of religion is a primary principle in the vision and founding of our country. It defines us as a people, and has uniquely contributed to making this nation great.

Americans should be free to recognize our religious heritage; doing that is not the same as creating a government-sponsored religion.

When you subpoena one pastor, you subpoena every pastor.

I think we recognize as Americans there are certain things that are just primary to the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy here and religious freedom is one of the most important things we as Americans cherish.

The Establishment Clause prohibits government from making adherence to a religion relevant in any way to a person's standing in the political community.

Our Constitution recognises no other power than that of persuasion, for enforcing religious observances.

The obligation of the state is to guarantee freedom of religion, and that implies dealing with all of them on an equal footing.